Method and machine for tempering bars, shafts, and the like



Mar. 20, 1923.

1,448,878; J. E. SMITH.

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR TEMPERING BARS, SHAFTS, AND THE LIKE. FILED MAY$1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IN VEN TOR.

W4 G Jaw M.

J. E. SMITH.

Mar..'20, 1923,

'METHOD AND MACHINE FOR TEMPERING BARS, SHAFTS, AND THE LIKE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FILED MAY 3. I920- A TTORNE Y.

Patented ill/liar. 2o, iaaa UNHT JAMES E. SMITH, 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN,ASSIGNOR TO MOTOR COMPANY 0115' DELAWARE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ACORPORATION 016 DELAWARE.

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR TEMPERING BARS, SHAFTS, AND THE LIKE.

Application filed May 3, 1920.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMns E. SMITH, acitizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of\Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvementsin a Method and Machine for Tempering Bars, Shafts, and the like, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a method and machine fortempering bars, shafts and the like, of simple, durable and inexpensiveconstruction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a machine for holdingbars, shafts and the like so that they will not bend or buckle duringthe cooling step ofthe tempering process.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a machine havingmeans adapted to contact with the periphery of the object, which isbeing tempered, at places spaced from each other to thereby hold theobject from buckling while at the same time exposin the major portion ofthe surface of th; 0 ject to the application of a cooling li ui Afurther object of my invention is to grip the object to be temperedbetween rollers arranged in spaced aligned sets on parallel shaftswhereby the rollers may be rotated to rotate the object between therollers, whereby the spaced rollers of each set may have the same effectin holding the object from-buckling that solid collars would and yet themajor portion of the surface of the object may be exposed to thecoolingliquid.

A further object of my invention is to provide in connection with myimproved machine a means for bringing the rollers of the various setstogether to grip the object to be tempered, and in combination withthese 'means'an adjustable control whereby a variable. pressure may beapplied for an indeterminate time.

A further object of my invention is to provide in combination with thesegripping and rotating rollers means for applying a li uid to the heatedand rotating object.

ith these and other objects in view, my invention consists in thearrangement, combination, and construction of the various parts of myimproved device, as described in the specification, claimed in myclaims,

Serial No. 378,479.

and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.

F igure' 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure1,'a portion of this view being taken on the section line a-a to betterillustrate the construction of 1s a pan or recepacle 11 having at itsupper edge a flaring portion 12, this pan being designed to receive thelegs or supports 13 of the machine proper. Any number of these legs 13may be used which are sufficient to support a platform 14. Surroundingthe platform 14: is a drum 15 which extends upwardly to form a supportfor a top member 16. A door 16 is designed to cover an opening in thedrum 15 and may be slid around on guides 16 to give access to theinterior of the drum or casing.

Above the top 16 is a casting 17 designedto form a support for a motor18 which is connected by a"chain 19 to a gear 20 mounted on the shaft 21which is journalled in r 17. A vertical shaft 22 jourthe casting nalledin the casting'17 has a beveled pinion 23 fixed to the upper end thereofto mesh with a beveled pinion 24, which is fixed to the horizontal shaft21.

The vertical shaft 22 has a pinion 25 fixed to the lower end thereofwhich meshes with each of a pair of spaced pinions 26, which are mountedon the upper ends of a pair of shafts numbered respectively 27 and 28.

These shafts 27 and 28 are journalled in the top 16 and the platform orbottom 14 and are spaced somewhat from each other. They may also beformed with a central opening therein for the purpose of'permitting themto cool readily and there may be an interlocking portion at 29 wherebythe shafts may be made sectional to make it easier to place them in themachine or to remove them. Mounted on these shafts 27 and 28 are aplurality of spaced rollers 30 which have, in the form of machine heredise of the metal so treated.

pering process with which I am familiar closed, knurled peripheries forbetter gripping the surface of an object which is being tempered.

Extended between the top 16 and the bottom 14 in position spaced fromthe shafts 27 and 28 is a verticalbar or pintle 31 upon which is hingedor journalled a casting 32. This casting 32 is provided with a laterallyextending portion 33 upon which is mounted a third vertical shaft 34which has thereon a plurality of knurled rollers 30, which are alignedhorizontally with the adjacent rollers on the shafts 27 and 28.

The operation of the parts hereinbefore described is as follows: i

In connection with the tempering of a shaft, bar, or the like, it iscustomary to heat these objects to a predetermined degree and then tocool them by exposing them to a liquid. The-temperature of the heatingand the temperature ofkthe cooling liquid may be varied to determine theresulting temper All of these temhave, however, resulted in bending orbucK- ling the bar, shaft, or the like, so that after the temperingprocess it was always necessary to test the shafts, especially, forstraightness and in many'cases to take steps to straighten out the bendsor buckling. The object of my invention is to provide means for grippingthese shafts, barsand the. like while being cooled so that they willremain straight. If then it is decided to cool a heated shaft or barwithin my machine, the parts heretofore described are operated asfollows:

Means are provided for swinging the casting 32 with its extension 33" onthe pintle 31, whereby the shaft 34 may be swung away from the shafts 27and 28. A heated shaft, bar, or other round object is then placedagainst the rollers on the shafts 27 and 28, then the casting 33 isrotated to swing the rollers 30 on the shaft 34 against the object,where the heated object will be gripped between a plurality ofvertically spaced sets 1 of horizontallyv aligned rollers. If now themotor 18 be rotated. it will be seen that retation will be impartedthrough the chain 19, gear 20, shaft 21. gears 23 and 24, shaft 22. andgears 25 and 26, to the shafts 27 and 28 whereby the rollers 30 on theselast-mentioned shafts may rotate to thereby rotate the heated object.The rollers 30.01 the shaft 34 may eitherbe rotatably mounted on theshaft or the shaft may be rotatably mounted in theextension33, wherebypressure on the extension 33 will cause the, rollers on the shaft 34 toforce the object into engagement with the rollers onthe shafts 27 and 28thereby insuring three things. The first of these is that there will besuliicientfrictional engagement between the lastimentioned rollers andthe object to insure its rotation when the rollers are rotated; second,that the portions of the object between each of the sets of the rollerswill be held in alignment during the cooling process; and third, that ifthe object has buckled, that the pressure of the rollers will straightenit. The number of sets of rollers may, of course, be varied to cover aminimum amount of the surface of the ob ect,

while at thesame time holdinga sufiicient cured by screws 42 to thebottom 14. A wear plate 43 is mounted in the groove 40 and may beadjusted by a bolt or screw 44. The block 39 has a connectingrod 45secured thereto, which has its opposite end fixed in a piston 46 in ahydraulic cylinder 47. The

cylinder 47 is secured by suitable base flanges 48 to the bottom 14 .ofthe drum. Control pipes 49 and 50 are connected to a suitable source ofhydraulic power whereby the piston 46 may be moved to either end of thecylinder 47 to thereby reciprocate the block 39, which throughthelbracket swings the casting 32 and extension 33.

From the description of the foregoing parts it will be seen that avariable pressure may be applied to the cylinder 47 thereby making itpossible to place a variable pressure on the rollers 30, whereby theobject being tempered may be held between the rollers with sufficientforce to prevent the object centralfportion thereof. extended upwardlyfrom the bottom 14 and commnnlcating with the reservoir 52, are aplurality of feed pipes 53, Which have a plurality of nozzles 54extended therefrom-and communicating therein, whereby when liquid issupplied to the reservoir52 from the supply pipe 51 then, it will beforced up through the pipes 53 and out from the nozzles 54. whence itwill be sprayed onto the heated object which is being rotated by'therollers 30.

At the top of the device I preferablv provide the means for holding theupper end of an object to be tempered so that it will not fall away fromthe rollers between the time that it is plamd in the machine and thetime that the casting 32 is rotated to bring the shaft 34 to positionwhere the rollers thereon will hold the object from displacement.- Inthe form of device here illustrated this consists .of a ,bar or rod 55which extends down from the top 16 to support a pair of spaced springs56, wh1ch are so shaped that a shaft, or the like, may be readily pushedin between them but willnot of its own weight force its way past them.These are so placed that whensuch a shaft is set with its bottomadjacent to the bottoms of shafts 27 and 28, then the top of the shaftor object may be pushed between the springs 56 which will hold itadjacent to the tops of the shafts 27 and 28 until the shaft 34 has beenmoved to position where all the rollers 30 will engage the shaft orobject. In the practical operation of my improved device the door 16 isfirst opened. The cylinder 47 is operated to swing the casting 32thereby swinging back the shaft 34. A shaft, bar or other object, whichhas previously been heated to a predetermined degree, is then placed inthe drum wlth its lower end adjacent to and as nearly as possiblebetween the lower ends of the shafts 27 and 28, whereupon the upper endof the object is pushed between the springs 56 to hold it within themachine. The cylinder 47 is again actuated to swing the shaft 84 againstthe object with sufficient force to place the desired pressure on therollers 30 to thereby form a force sufficient to hold the cooling objectfrom buckling. Rotation is then imparted to the shafts 27 and 28 andthey rollers 30 through the motor 18. When the object is rotating at apredetermined speed, due to the rotation of the rollers 30,

, then the feed pipe 51 is supplied with liquid under pressure tothereby force the liquid through the reservoir 52,,pipes 53 and nozzles54, so that the liquid may be sprayed upon the object to cool it.

When the water or other liquid is sprayed onto the heated object, whichis to be tem- I pered, it will be noted that the liquid will be movingin a direction perpendicular to a tangent to the periphery of theobject. The liquid will therefore follow around the surface of theobject until it meets the liquid from another set of nozzles, then, itwill turn back away from the surface of the object and drop to thebottom of the casing. I consider this one of the most important featuresof my invention as bv this system of operating theheated object I amenabled to apply what may be termed a cooling agent at a constanttemperature to the object, that 18, if it be assumed that. the liquidhas a temperature of approximately sixty degrees, then, the liquidcoming in contact with the surface of the object will be replaced sorapidly by the action of the nozzles that the liquid in contact. withthe object will be maintained substantially at the temperature 'of theliquid as it is sprayed from the nozzles, whereby a more uniform coolingis secured with the resulting advantages.

In this connection it should be mentioned that while I have used thewords water and liquid interchangeably through this speci fication, yetany cooling liquid or gas may be used for that purpose without departingfrom the spirit of my invention;

After the object has been exposed to the cooling agent for apredetermined period of time the supply of" liquid is cut off androtation of the object is stopped by stopping the motor. The door 16 isopened and the shaft 34 is swung away from the object by again operatingthe cylinder 47 whereby the object may be removed by pulling it out frombetween the springs 56. The machine is then ready to temper anotherobject.

It may be mentioned that supporting pillars 57 may be extended betweenthe top 16 andthebottom 14 for the purpose of holding the parts rigid,whereby the drum 15 may be made of light material. It will also be notedthat due to the comparatively small amount of surface of the objectwhich contacts with the surface of the rollers 30, and due to'theplacing of the nozzles 54 so that they will cause the liquid to play onthe entire length of the object, that the entire, or substantially theentire, surface of the object may be subjected to the action of thecooling agent at substantially the same instant, whereby the temperingmay be uniform. No means are here shown for disposing of, the liquidsused for tempering, but it will be understood that the bottom 14 mayhave suitable draining openings therein to permit the water to drop intothe pan 11 from which it may be run either into a sewer or pumped into asupply tank and used again.

In connection with the shafts 27 and 28, means are provided for holdingthese shafts against the tendency that they would have to get out ofalignment and to bend at their central portions which are as follows: Acasting 60 is secured to the top 16 and bottom 14 and extendedtherebetween. Adjacent to the central portion of this casting is a screw61 which extends through the castmg and 1s rotatably, but non-slidably,

mounted in a bearing member 62 surround-- casting, whereby rotation ofthe screws may adjust the position of the plug 64. The screws 61 and thescrews 66 form an acute angle relative to each other which is preferablybut slightly less than a right angle,

whereby rotation of the screws 66 and 61 may move the bearing 62 due tothe pivotal connection 63 into any of a considerable number of adjustedpositions. In fact, the adjustment provided permits the bearing 62 to beso adjusted that it may hold the shaft 27 exactly in alignment therebyacting as a rest disposed between the rollers 30 to there-' shaft 34 atvertical intervals, which consists of the screw 67,.threaded into theextension 33 to reciprocate a slide plug 68 which is pivotally connectedto a bearing member 69 mounted between the rollers 30 on the shaft 34:.The importance of these adjustments resides in the fact that thismachine may be used in connection with the tempering of shafts where avery slight buckling of the tempered shaft would perhaps seriouslyaffect its subsequent operation.

It will be noted that while I have described the machine as beingadapted for use with shafts or other round objects, yet that it may beused for cooling objects which are not round by providing means forrotating these objects while subjecting them to the spray of liquid. Forinstance a.

square bar might be readily tempered by attaching split collars theretoso that the peripheries of the collars could contact with the rollers 30and I have found that the machine gives what may be termed perfectresults. when used for tempering cam shafts which are round only at theplaces spaced from each other.

It may also be desirable under certain circumstances to accomplish thespinning of the object to be tempered by means other than those shown,such for instance as by gripping the object in any suitable way-and thensplnning the with the object. t may also be desirable under certaincircumstances to grip the object' in a frame or jaws and then immersethe frame or jaws together with the object .in a tank or cooling liquid,the jaws or frame being so arranged that it may be spun within the tank.I

The advantages of m improved machine have been brought out rom time totime in the course ofthe specification, but the most important ones maybe again set forth as comprising means of cooling a heated shaft, bar,or the like, to temper the latter, whereipping means together in the baror shaft is held in alignment although substantially the entireperiphery is simultaneously exposed to the action of the liquid orcooling agent. Other advantages may be mentioned in that the aligningand cooling means may be adjusted to meet various conditions of materialand tempering,

the workmen are protected from danger from the scalding water, or fromthe heated object, and such other advantages as may have been broughtforth or are apparen from the construction.

Some changes may be made in the arrangement and cohstruction of thevarious arts of my improved device without departmg from the spirit ofthe invention therein and it is my intention to cover by my claims suchchanges as may be reasonably include within the scope thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine for tempering, means for simultaneously supporting androtating an object upon its axis, said means being arranged to engagethe object at not less than three spaced portions thereof and to holdsaid portions in alignment, said means also including sets of alignedrollers, and means for applying a cooling'liquid to the object.

2. method of tempering shafts, bars and the like consisting of ,firstheating the article to be tempered to a predetermined temperature, thenrotating the object on its longitudinal axis while hol ing it inalignment, and then applying a cooling liquid to the rotating heatedobject at places intermediate of its ends by spraying said object from aplurality of points spaced from each other both laterally andvertically.

3. In a machine for tempering, means for simultaneously supporting androtating an object upon its axis, said means being 'arrangedto engagethe object at not less than three spaced portions thereof and to holdsaid portions in alignment, said means also including sets of alignedrollers, and spaced rows of nozzles adapted to play cooling liquid onthe rotating object.

4. A machine for tempering round objects comprising a frame, meansthereon for si-f 'multaneously gripping the heated object to hold itfroni buckling and for rotating it upon its axis, and means for coolingthe heated rotating object .comprising a plurality of nozzles spacedboth vertically and laterally and adapted to play on the object.

' 5. In a device of the class described, a frame, means thereon forgripping a shaft or the like comprising a plurality of sets of alignedrollers spaced longitudinally from each other relative to the shaft tothereby rotate the shaft and hold it in alignment, and

gripped and rotated.

6. In a device of the class described a plu- .means for cooling theheated shaft while so I rality of rotatable rollers adapted to contact139 said rollers with its axis parallel with the axes of the shafts, andmeans for bringing the shafts into position to cause the rollers toengage the object to hold it from buckling.

8. In a'device of the class described, a frame, three or more parallelshafts journalled therein, spaced'sets of aligned rollers on each ofsaid shafts, and means for rotating certain of said rollers to therebyrotate an object engaged between the sets of rollers.

9. The method of tempering metal consisting of applying a cooling liquidto the heated metal when rotating and yieldingly held in alignment by apredetermined pressure.

jeots, means for simultaneously supporting and rotating the object, andspaced parallel rows of nozzles disposed around the object .in positionto continuously flood the surface of the rotating object with freshwater. 11 In a device of the class described, a plurality of spacedparallel shafts, aligned sets of rollers mounted on said shafts, sup-10. In a machine for tempering metal 0b-,

portin bearings disposed between said rollers an means for adjusting therelative porsitions of said bearings to thereby insure alignment of saidshafts;

l2. lln a device of the class described,-a plurality of spaced parallelshafts, aligned sets of parallel rollers mounted on said shafts,supporting bearings disposed between said rollers,'means for adjustingthe relative positions of said bearings to thereby insure alignment ofsaid shafts, said means.

being located substantially outsi'de.of the space between said shafts,and means for playing a cooling agent between each of said shaftswhereby substantially the entire surface ofan object supported by saidrollers may be continuously flooded with a constantly changing coolingagent.

13. A frame, a pairof spaced parallel ro-' tatable members mountedthereon, a third rotatable member movably mounted on the frame, meansfor rotating certain of said members and means for yieldingly forcingwith a predetermined pressure the third member toward the other twowhereby a heated object ma begripped and rotated between said me rs, andwhereby the entire surface of the object may be rapidly and successivelydisposed to the action of a cooling agent.

J S E, 8TH.

